Steve James’s landmark documentary follows the early careers of Arthur Agee, Jr., and William Gates, two black teenagers from inner-city Chicago who are recruited to play for the renowned basketball team at St. Joseph’s, a predominantly white suburban prep school. Shot over the course of five years, Hoop Dreams follows Arthur and William through high school and into their freshman year in college as they cling to their hopes for the future despite mounting odds. In its unflinching portrait of inner-city life, Hoop Dreams is as much a social commentary on class privilege and race division as it is a film about basketball and presents the audience with a lasting deconstruction of the American Dream.  ST

Hoop Dreams screens in a newly restored digital master. The restoration represents the collaborative effort of Sundance Institute, UCLA Film & Television Archive, the Academy Film Archive and Kartemquin Films.

Q&A following screening with filmmaker Steve James and special guests Sheila Agee and Arthur Agee, Jr.